These Moments That Define Us
by Rachel-Blue-Flame
Summary: Their relationship could only be described as complex. Neither were sure if they were friends, nothing, enemies, or something more. But it takes a series of moments to help clarify this issue.
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, she saw these woods as a scene from her nightmares placed in reality. What, with the trees that were twisted this way and turned that way, efficiently blocking out most of the light from the moon. How the wind would sweep through with a chill that never seemed to leave her bones and a howl that never left her ears. But now, all she saw was the quiet solitude that these woods allowed. They stretched on for miles, so she could simply sit in one spot and not be bothered for hours, or even at all. This allowed her all the time she needed to process her thoughts without any interruptions.

But there was one particular spot she wanted to allow her mind to wander in. Not only because this spot was located deeper in the woods, which meant she wouldn't be bothered by anyone, but it held great significance to her. It was the spot where her life had changed for what she had believed at the time to be for the worst. But now, she wasn't so sure.

With a small smile and the sound of leaves crunching underneath her boots, she found her particular spot. Also known to many residents of Mystic Falls as the old Fell's Church. Or what was left of it after it had burned to the ground during the Civil War. All that was really left was a small section of bricks in one corner.

But the scar of the pentagram remained.

Bending down, she traced a small part of the star. It was cool to the touch, dirt sliding under her hand like fine sand. Seeing it here, untouched, brought back wave after wave of memories of that night.

"Well, if it isn't little Bonnie Bennett."

Standing to her full height, Bonnie turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing a few feet away from her was none other than the vampire that had just flitted across her mind. Damon Salvatore.

'_He's still wearing that same, black leather jacket_,' Bonnie mused silently as her gaze racked over his form. The next thing she noticed was the gray t-shirt he had on underneath the jacket, followed by the dark jeans that clothed his legs. _'He's still going for the dark and dreary look, I see,'_ she thought.

"Damon Salvatore," Bonnie spoke softly. "What brings you back to Mystic Falls? Elena told me you had decided to travel the country for awhile."

The vampire shrugged. "That got old quick."

"Really?" the witch asked skeptically. "If that got old quick, how have you managed to entertain yourself for all these years?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Not really."

A silence fell on the pair as they seemed content to simply stare at each other. Neither was sure exactly what to do in this situation, after all, it wasn't like they were best friends or anything. Yes, Bonnie had managed to rid her fear and hatred for the vampire over time, but she still felt uneasy around him. She knew who was the more powerful out of the two and it most certainly was not her. She always felt she had to be careful with what she said or did around him, lest she set him off on a rage.

"What brings you here at this hour?"

Bonnie snapped from her thoughts at his question. "I could ask you the same thing."

"But I asked you first," he replied with a smile.

She was tempted to argue with him, but figured it would only result in the pair going in a circle. But part of her was worried how he would react to what she was about to say. He would either laugh or glare at her for reminding her what today was.

"It's been one year since that night," she stated softly, her gaze fixed on the pentagram at her feet. "One year since Emily possessed me and you…you begged her to release Katherine." Bonnie slowly rose her gaze, but kept it focused on something other than Damon. "I don't know why…but I wanted to come out here and just…I don't know what I wanted to do, but that's why I'm here."

Silence fell over them.

The longer Demon refused to speak, Bonnie became increasingly positive that he was furious with her. He was probably planning her demise. Why couldn't she have just lied and claimed she needed to get away, to get her thoughts together? But then that would probably make him question why she chose this spot of all places to do such a thing.

She should have just kept her mouth shut.

"I was willing to do anything for her."

The words were barely audible, but Bonnie managed to catch them. With those words ringing in her ears, she found herself reliving the moment when Damon attacked her. The pain, the fear, and shock all came rushing back wave after wave. Then, once it seemed to settle in her system, anger crashed down.

Turning to him, Bonnie hissed, "Yeah, I know. You nearly tore my throat out because Emily destroyed the crystal."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "I was pissed that she went back on our deal."

"I get that, but you almost killed me! And just hours before you said you wanted to protect me!"

"I wasn't trying to kill you!"

Bonnie snorted. "Could have fooled me." Suddenly, Damon wasn't mere feet from her, but inches. She took a step back, shock coursing through her system. She still wasn't use to his speed. And she felt fear begin to fill her veins at the sight of his eyes trying to bleed black.

"I meant what I said, Bonnie. I did want to protect you, but you refused it. And I wasn't trying to kill you, but Emily," his words were tinged with anger.

She looked away. "You just conveniently forgot that she was possessing me?" Hurt could easily been heard in her words.

Damon shook his head. "My rage at Emily took control. I didn't see you, all I saw was her."

Bonnie slowly turned her head back and stared at the vampire. His eyes were still black and his veins were still visible beneath his pale skin, but she didn't feel quite as afraid as before. After all, he had just come as close as Damon possibly could to apologizing to her.

And seeing him in this state, it intrigued her somewhat.

Bonnie had witnessed many occasions where both Damon and Stefan must revert to this vampiric face, but she hadn't really had the time to really gaze upon it. Either she was running for her life, worrying about someone else's life, or she passed out right after seeing it. But now, with Damon so close, she was able to really see what this face looked like.

His eyes were pools of black with purple and blue veins appearing underneath. It was striking against the pale, smooth skin of his face. Those simple changes transformed Damon from an irritating, average guy to a lethal animal of one's nightmares in a matter of seconds. Seeing him like this did terrify Bonnie to a degree, because this could one day be the face that she last saw before he chose to kill her. But then, seeing him like this reminded her of all Damon had lost, what he was forced to become in order to protect his already fragile heart.

And what had transpired with Katherine.

She quickly shook those thoughts away.

Without conscious thought, Bonnie began to reach out towards his face. Damon stared at her in puzzlement, wary of her sudden change in mood. Then, right as her hand would have touched his cheek, he stepped out of her reach. The two stared at each other, puzzled by what had almost transpired.

Bonnie pulled her hand back, her eyes wide in surprise. "Umm…I'm sorry about that. I have no idea why I just did that. My hand has a mind of it's own sometimes, honest. So we can just forget that about happen…yeah that sounds like a plan." She felt her cheeks begin to warm up as she realized she was rambling. "And ignore my insane ramble." She turned around. "I'm just gonna…you know…go." With that, she began her walk back towards the spot where her car was parked.

Damon stared after her for a moment, still baffled by what had almost transpired. Bonnie had been staring at him with an expression he could only describe as wonder. That had struck him odd because she usually had a panicked, angry, or terrified expression on when he was around. Then, when she had reached out and was about to touch his face, he was shocked. She was willingly about to touch him with his face still in it's vampiric form. But Damon had stepped out of her reach before she could touch him. He, oddly enough, wasn't comfortable with her touching him while his face was still in that form.

Damon continued to stare in the direction Bonnie went.

* * *

Bonnie had driven straight from the woods to her house, in a complete daze. All her mind could do, it seems, was replay her hand reaching out and almost touching Damon's face while still in it's vampiric form. And no matter how hard she tried to banish the clip from her mind, it still continued to play.

When she finally reached her house, Bonnie slipped inside quietly. It was past midnight and her father was asleep. Once inside her room, she leaned against the wall and focused on her hand. "What was I thinking? He could have bit my hand off for touching him without his permission."

Groaning, Bonnie walked over to her bed and fell upon it. After slipping beneath the covers, she curled up with a nearby pillow and simply stared out of the window facing her bed. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and slowly starting to give her a headache.

She wasn't even sure why she had decided to venture out into the woods tonight. She had only just learned what today's date was mere hours before. Kelli, a girl she worked with at the small restaurant on the other side of town, had seemed oddly hyper all night at work. Bonnie had wanted to question her about it, but didn't have time. It was only when the pair were closing up the restaurant that she had asked her friend what was going on. Kelli had told her that today was her boyfriend's birthday and she was going to his place to surprise him. Only then did Bonnie look to the calendar hanging by the door and saw that today was November 12. And it had all come rushing back to her what had happened on this very night one year ago.

Once she had left the restaurant, Bonnie had gotten in her car and simply drove. How she ended up by the woods, she wouldn't be able to tell anyone. Her mind had been too busy replaying what had happened what seemed like a lifetime ago. But there she had been, sitting in the warmth of her car by the woods. Then, she had turned off her car and stepped out. She had decided that visiting the ruins of Fell's Church wouldn't be that bad.

But now, lying on her bed and her head filled with confusion, Bonnie wondered if it was the wrong choice. Maybe she should have just ignored her thoughts and continued on to her home.

"I liked it so much better when he was just a stupid, homicidal vampire," Bonnie groaned. "When he was one of those, I had no problem keeping my hands to myself."

_It was strange_, Bonnie thought. _Not that long ago_, _not only did I _fear _Damon_, _but I _loathed _him_. _But now, I can actually _tolerate _being in his presence_. _Maybe it's because I actually have managed to glimpse some of Damon's humanity. Or maybe it's because he hasn't tried attacking me again. Or maybe it has to do with what happened…_

Bonnie quickly shook that thought away. She was not ready to travel down memory lane, yet. Thinking about this past summer only made her shudder in fear. What had happened during that time not only had changed her, but made her look at situations in a new light. Sometimes, it was hard to believe how much it had changed her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a bird outside her window. Once she was sure her heart was beating normally, Bonnie turned her focus to the window. Sitting in the tree right outside the window, was a large, black crow. Shaking her head, she turned back over and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come soon because a rock band was getting warmed up in her head.

The bird cawed began to caw.

Bonnie growled in frustration before getting up and opening her window. The crow instantly quieted, it's beady, black eyes focused on her. Ignoring the shiver that raced down her spine at the oddness of the action, Bonnie glared at the crow.

"Listen, Birdy, I have a serious headache that you are not making any better! Now, if you would be so kind, fly away!" she hissed at the bird.

It merely cocked it's head to the side.

And Bonnie swore it's eyes were dancing with laughter.

"I am losing my mind," the witch whispered. "First, I actually become somewhat of a friend to Damon. Second, I actually visit the place where said homicidal vampire nearly killed me a year ago. Third, I almost touch the homicidal vampire. And now, I'm yelling at a crow." Bonnie shook her head. "I need therapy…or sleep. Yeah, sleep should do me good."

With that, she gave the crow one last glare before closing her window. Walking to her dresser, she pulled out a pair of Snoopy pajama pants and a black tank top. She quickly changed into her sleepwear and turned to pull the covers back from her bed. Once that was done, she easily slipped beneath the warm covers. Turning off the lamp on her bedside table, she rolled over to face the window and easily fell into sleep.

* * *

Damon stared up at Bonnie's window and watched as the light quickly vanished. An amused smirk adorned his lips as he recalled her earlier rant. _Looks like I have my own nickname_, he amusedly thought. _Homicidal vampire…I like it._

When he had reverted to his crow form at the ruins of Fell's Church, he had had no intentions of stopping by Bonnie's house. Instead, he had planned to fly through the night, trying to rid himself of the sight of Bonnie almost touching his face while in vampire form. But it had refused to leave him and soon, he found himself outside of her window.

Seeing her there, looking up at her ceiling with a contemplative look, it made him wonder what she was thinking about. Was her head filled with their earlier meeting? Or was something else bothering her?

Deciding that he didn't like that look on her usually smiling face, Damon began cawing. He internally laughed when she shot up from her bed, her hand placed over her heart. When she turned her focus on him, he watched with amusement as her eyes narrowed before turning back over, her back to him.

Damon began cawing again.

When Bonnie had finally opened the window and began her little rant, he could only stare at her in amusement. When she closed her window, he continued to remain on the branch and simply watched her. When she began undressing, obviously preparing for bed, Damon paid rapt attention to her.

Her body was trimmed and toned, but still held beautiful curves in the right places. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate and looked as smooth as silk. And she stood there, in nothing but her bra and panties, unaware that Damon was gazing upon her with admiration. But once she slipped on her pajama pants and tank top, he flew down to the ground beneath her window, and quickly became his human form.

Staring up at the window where Bonnie lay asleep, Damon whispered softly with his trademark smirk still in place, "Sleep tight, Little Witch, and sweet dreams."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Bonnie, can you get the order of booth 12, for me? I just got a party of ten," Kelli asked.

Bonnie smiled and replied, "Sure Kelli. They'll be taking up most of your time anyways." With that said, she made her way down the aisle of tables at the front of the restaurant, then turned a corner into a separate room. The back booth was where the customer was sitting, but all she could tell was that it was a man from the back of his head.

"Please don't be one of those perverted idiots," she whispered to herself as she made her way towards him. Bonnie had had to deal with a group of college boys earlier that day. They were intent on making sexual innuendos in every sentence. It nearly drove her to use her powers on them. Mustering up a sincere smile and quickly banishing the earlier events from her mind, Bonnie turned to face the customer, her eyes focused on the pad in her hands. "Welcome to _Elements_. What would you like to drink and would you like an appetizer?"

"This perverted idiot would like a water and some of those delicious mozzarella sticks." The pad fell from her hands and clattered to the ground, followed by her pencil. Turning her wide eyes to face the customer, she was shocked to see Damon Salvatore sitting there, his cocky grin in place.

It took a moment for Damon's presence to register. When it finally did, Bonnie said, "What are you doing here? You don't eat regular food."

"How do you know that? For all you know, I do eat regular food, but only particular things," he replied.

Bonnie cocked an eyebrow. "What? Steaks that are extra, extra rare?"

"Cute."

She rolled her eyes. "I was being serious."

"My bad," he said with a smile. He nodded his head in the direction of the empty seat across from him. "Why don't you take a seat?"

Bonnie bent down and picked up her fallen notepad and pencil. She motioned to them. "Can't you see I'm working?"

Damon shrugged. "I'm sure you could take a quick break."

"I doubt that."

"Just take a quick, little break. I'm sure no one will mind." He winked after he said this.

Bonnie sighed, realizing he wasn't going to give up until she agreed to his demand. After taking one cautionary look towards the entrance of the room, she slid into the seat across from Damon. The pair just stared at each other, Bonnie having no idea what to say and Damon seemingly enjoying the obvious discomfort the girl was in.

Finally, "What are you doing here, Damon?"

The vampire shrugged. "Thought I'd drop by, say hi."

"Cute," Bonnie said. "Now, tell me why you're really here."

Damon's playful demeanor quickly melted into one of seriousness. His eyes had locked with hers and his lips formed a thin line. She was surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. Whatever had brought him here must have weighed on him heavily.

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Is Elena alright? Or is it Stefan?" she asked with a panicked rush.

"Nothing like that. My idiot brother and his dear Elena are fine. They're currently enjoying the mountains of Tennessee."

Bonnie felt her heart rate slowly return to normal. "Then why do you look so serious?"

"You've been avoiding me."

That wasn't what she had been expecting for him to say. Deciding to question him about it later, Bonnie shook her head and said, "No I haven't. You just haven't been around." She crossed her arms protectively in front of her and turned her attention away from his gaze.

Damon was right, though. She had been avoiding him. Ever since that night in the woods a month ago, she had been doing her best to not cross paths with him. She was still a little shaken by the almost face touch. It seemed to be the only thing she could think or dream about, and how things might have gone had she actually touched him.

It always ended with her getting her hand ripped off, then being left to bleed to death.

Damon snorted. "I haven't left, Bonnie. I have actually gone _out_ of my way to see you, but you always seem to dodge me. So, do you want to tell me why you're avoiding me? I thought we had actually become friends."

Bonnie turned her attention back to him, an eyebrow raised. "Friends? Damon, you don't have _friends_. All you have is enemies or meals."

Damon's gaze narrowed at her words. Then, he stood to his feet and turned, about to leave. Bonnie felt a twinge of guilt at her words. Reaching out, she grabbed onto his wrist. He stopped and turned back to her, his face expressionless.

"I'm sorry for that. I…I didn't mean it." She motioned towards his former seat. "Please sit down." Damon looked towards the seat then back to her. "Please," she whispered. After a moment, he sat back down.

"You must really love my company," he quipped.

Bonnie shook her head, a smile on her face. Then, the smile slowly melted into a frown as she thought back to Damon's earlier question. Looking at him, she contemplated telling him the truth. Deciding she owed him after her smart comment earlier, Bonnie began to explain.

"You're right, I have been avoiding you." Damon raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised she was admitting this. "Though I wasn't expecting it to bother you." He merely shrugged, not giving anything away as to why it did seem to bother him. That annoyed her somewhat. "Anyways, my mind has been filled with what almost happened at old Fell's Church that night." She turned her gaze away from his, her cheeks becoming warm. It was embarrassing having to relive that awkward moment and to explain how it bothered her so much. She just hoped Damon would refrain from mocking her until she was out of sight. "In my mind…in my mind I imagine what would have happened if I had actually touched you."

"What do you think would have happened?"

Bonnie looked up at the sound of Damon's voice, an incredulous look on her face. "You would have ripped my arm off or killed me."

He remained quiet for a few minutes, simply staring at her. She fidgeted under his gaze, but stayed quiet. Finally, Damon spoke. "Whether I like it or not, this town seems to have changed me a bit. I'm not all for the killing of innocents like I use to be. Which bothers me because I use to have no problem ripping someone's throat out for the pure fun of it." He shrugged, his attention focused elsewhere. "Of course, maybe my odd change of heart has to do with what happened with Katherine."

She didn't want to go down that path. Thinking about this past summer only drug up nightmares of the worst kind. And she knew it was especially hard for Damon to remember. So, Bonnie reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his, hoping to provide some means of comfort. "Don't. Don't go down that road. What happened with Katherine was her own fault and no one else's."

Damon glanced down at her hand lying on top of his. Bonnie followed his gaze and also noticed where her hand was. Feeling her cheeks instantly warm, she retracted her hand and placed it in her lap. He smirked at her obvious discomfort. "See? I didn't kill you then."

Bonnie chuckled uneasily. "No, I guess you didn't."

"Seems like I really have changed."

"Yeah," she whispered. "Seems so."

Damon shook his head. "You could at least claim I'm still that crazy vampire. Save my ego a little."

"Now why would I want to save your ego?" Bonnie asked with a smile. "I think you need a good ego cutting every now and then."

The vampire placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Little Witch."

"I try, Homicidal Vampire," she replied.

"Aww, I have a nickname," Damon joked, though he had already heard it.

Bonnie shrugged. "Figured it was only fair."

"I'm touched," he said.

She just laughed. Once she sobered up, a thought struck her. Cocking her head to the side, Bonnie asked, "Are you going to Elena and Stefan's wedding next month?"

She had received the call from her best friend last week about Stefan proposing. At first, Bonnie had been shocked. The couple had only been together a year and voiced this thought. However, Elena had told her that she could feel it in her bones that Stefan was meant for her. And she was ready to take this step with him because she couldn't picture her future without him. As Bonnie listened to her friend talk about her happiness, she could clearly hear the sincerity in her voice. Once she was sure this was what Elena wanted, she gave her best friend her blessing and told her she would be there. Elena had laughed and said she hoped the maid of honor would attend. The two had quickly fallen into discussing wedding details after that.

Watching for Damon expression, she was saddened to see it darken. He turned his attention away from her and spat out his next words. "Why would I attend that idiot's wedding?"

Bonnie felt her heart constrict at those words. She had hoped that this past summer's adventure had healed some of those wounds that lied between the brothers. "Because he's your brother? Because Elena told me he wanted to ask you to be his best man? Take your pick."

"That fool actually thought I would be his best man?" he asked. "What an idiot."

"Damon!" Bonnie hissed. The vampire turned his cold eyes upon hers. "Stefan wants to make amends with you! He wants to have a relationship with you! Why can't you see that?"

"I do see that, but it's not that simple, Bonnie!" Damon roared. The witch reared back in her seat, obviously frightened by the vampire's sudden rage. He didn't seem to notice. "That pathetic excuse for a vampire has had everything handed to him since we were children! I, however, am the one that has had to fight my way to get what I want! And every time I do find something that I want, he swoops in and steals it from me! What kind of brother does that?"

Bonnie realized in the middle of his rant, that Damon was talking about Katherine. He had been so in love with her, that whenever he discovered his brother and her had been together, it hurt him deeper than could be imagined. That was why he tortured Stefan all these years, to serve retribution. It was also why he acted as a true vampire. To know that his brother was the one killing innocent people without cause or care must have hurt Stefan more than anyone could imagine.

"Stefan told you Katherine was compelling him. He had no choice, Damon," Bonnie tried to reason.

"How do we know that?" Damon snarled.

"You know Stefan better than anyone…or at least you did," Bonnie started. "Did Stefan ever seem like the type to throw away his relationship with his brother over a girl? Was he the type to go after a girl he knew his brother wanted? Was Katherine even the type of girl you could see Stefan with? These are the questions only you know the answer to, Damon. Those answers should tell you if Stefan was truly being compelled." With that said, she stood up and began to walk past Damon. He reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to look down at him

"Where are you going?" he asked.

She sighed. "I have to go back to work. I've taken a longer break than I should have." She pulled her arm free of his grasp and continued on her way. At the entrance to the room, she turned back and said, "Damon, did you ever think that maybe Stefan got everything easier because of you? That he looked up to you his whole life and saw the mistakes you made and he tried to avoid them? You were his older brother and every younger sibling I have ever met has looked up to their older sibling and tried to learn from them." Once she finished, Bonnie disappeared from the room.

Damon watched her leave, then turned back to face the empty seat once she had disappeared from view. Her questions continued to roll around in his head. With each question, his anger began to mount. He had put no thought into how odd it was that Stefan would seek out Katherine when he knew Damon wanted her. He had never contemplated the absurdity of calm, rational Stefan with a vixen like Katherine. He had only been blinded by his rage at what he believed to be his brother's betrayal. And then, to think that maybe Stefan managed to get everything he wanted because he learned how from Damon, it threw everything he had believed into a different orbit. His hands quickly formed into fists and slammed down onto the table top, shattering it into shards of wood.

* * *

Bonnie glanced back in the direction of where Damon sat for what might have been the twelfth time in the span of ten minutes. He hadn't emerged from the room and there was no other way out of the restaurant except for the main entrance. That left her wondering what he could be doing all alone back there. She highly doubted he was sitting there, thinking over what she had said before she had left him. And he knew the consequences of trying to find a quick meal while she was in the vicinity.

So what could Damon Salvatore be doing all alone?

Sighing, Bonnie turned back to face Kelli and Tia, who were discussing some television show about vampires. From what little she had heard, Bonnie believed it to be a soap opera. Where else would one find a love triangle between two brothers and a girl that favored the dead girl that both brothers had been in love with?

_My life_, Bonnie thought sarcastically.

"Holy cow!" Tia exclaimed. "Where did that hunk of a man come from?"

Both Kelli and Bonnie turned around to see who their coworker was talking about. Bonnie was surprised to see it was Damon. He was walking towards the exit of the restaurant, but turned back to glance at her. His face was devoid of emotion, which scared her somewhat. He gave her a brief nod before walking out of the restaurant and towards the black Ferrari sitting in the parking lot. Bonnie watched as he climbed inside the sleek car, then pulled out of the parking lot.

Kelli smirked. "That was one of Bonnie's customers. Apparently, they know each other."

Bonnie looked at her friend. "How did you know that?"

"He asked for you by name, honey," her the red-head replied.

"He asked for me by name?" the witch blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

Tia quickly jumped into the conversation. "You never told us who knew tall, dark, and handsome! Spill!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Guys, he's just…a friend." Could she really call Damon that? That was what he had called them earlier, but she had brushed it off as him being his usual self. But, the two encounters the pair had shared had revealed some of each other to the other person. And that was what you did with new friends, reveal yourself little by little.

Maybe that was what they were.

Tia raised an eyebrow. "Girl, that is not just a friend. That is a walking wet dream."

"I have to agree," Kelli said. "The minute I saw him, all I wanted to do was jump him."

Bonnie could only laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

**

* * *

**

The first strings of "Broken" by Seether slowly danced across the open air and filled Bonnie's head. Once she recognized the song, she immediately turned up the volume on the radio. It was one of her favorite songs and it had been a while since she heard it last. And it always seemed to have a soothing effect on her frayed nerves. Which was what she desperately needed right now. After all, who could be calm when they were driving to their most certain death?

Bonnie was going to visit Damon.

It had been two weeks since their last encounter. For the first week, the witch had been relieved. There had been no awkward encounters or talks about things that had been said or actions that had been taken. But, by the middle of the next week, she started to worry. Damon was known for his ability to annoy anyone and it seemed he had found his newest target since Stefan and Elena were out of town. So, when she didn't encounter him at all, Bonnie knew to be worried.

She had already thought up crazy scenarios as to why Damon wasn't bothering her. After she had checked with Caroline and was assured the blonde had not seen him, one scenario was crossed off the list. When she checked the newspaper and saw no unusual 'animal attacks' another scenario was crossed off. That left only two options: Damon was in hiding, or he had skipped town.

Bonnie wasn't sure which scenario she wanted.

If he was in hiding, then that meant he wasn't off in some other city, terrorizing those inhabitants. But if he had skipped town, then she no longer had to worry about him annoying or confusing her to the point where she made a mistake and caused him to kill her. Either situation had it's pros and cons. Bonnie just wasn't sure which side out-weighed which on either scenario.

As the final verse of "Broken" played, Bonnie found herself reaching the driveway that led to the Salvatore house. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts together and to allow her nerves to completely settle, she continued on towards the house. She parked her car and slowly climbed out, her gaze focused on the front door.

When she had finally mustered up enough courage to knock on the door, Bonnie was surprised to see it already beginning to open. Standing in the doorway was Damon, staring at Bonnie with an unreadable expression. It unnerved her slightly, how blank his whole face was. It was as if he had no emotions at all.

Swallowing down her lump of unease, Bonnie said, "Hi."

Damon just raised an eyebrow.

"How are you?" she asked awkwardly.

Again, he remained quiet.

A small dose of anger flashed through her system. "Why aren't you saying anything?" She shook her head. "You're not known for being quiet."

Damon said nothing for a moment, simply content to stare at her. Bonnie tried to stare him down, but soon found herself tearing her gaze away from his. His eyes were nothing but black, bottomless pits that sent chills down her spine.

"Come inside."

Bonnie turned her attention back to him, surprise clearly seen on her face. Damon had stepped to the side, allowing room for her to enter the house. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing him for a split second, then quickly entered. The sound of the door shutting behind her echoed in her ears.

"What do I owe to this surprise visit?" Damon asked emotionlessly as he walked by her.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at his flat tone. "I, surprisingly enough, was slightly worried about you. You hadn't appeared out of nowhere in the past two weeks to annoy me." She shrugged. "Figured you either skipped town, or were holding yourself hostage here."

Damon moved towards the table that held the liquor. Once he poured himself a glass of scotch, he turned back to her. Smirking, he said, "You missed so much, you actually sought me out. I'm flattered, Bonnie." Then, he took a large gulp of the scotch.

She moved towards him slowly, eyeing him with uncertainty. Something was off with the vampire and it was putting her on edge. For all she knew, he could attack her right now without a care just for the fun of it.

Why had she come here, again?

"Damon," Bonnie started, her voice laced with confusion. "what is wrong with you?"

He shrugged, gulping down a large amount of the scotch. "I'm peachy-keen."

"Really? Cause to me you look like an idiot trying to get drunk," she replied. After a moment, she asked, "Can vampires get drunk?"

Damon finished the scotch in his hands before turning back and pouring another glass. "I wish," he muttered. Once the glass was filled to the brim, he turned back to face Bonnie. "And maybe me getting drunk is my way of showing how peachy-keen I am."

Feeling slightly annoyed, which seemed to boost her courage, Bonnie walked towards him. He watched her with amusement that quickly turned into irritation as she pulled the scotch from his hands. She placed it on the table behind him, never breaking her gaze from his. "Damon, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he hissed.

Her eyes narrowed. "Really? Then why have you stayed cooped-up in this house for the past two weeks?"

"Who says I've been here?" Damon fired back.

"There has been no reports of random 'animal attacks' in the papers and you haven't been bothering anyone, that I know of. So, that leaves you being cooped-up here."

"Who says I didn't terrorize another town?"

There was a moment of panic at his words, but then Bonnie shook her head, irritated. "Damon, I didn't come here to play this stupid game with you. I really want to know what is wrong with you."

"Take your noble, savior act somewhere else, Bennett," Damon snarled as he roughly shoved her out of his way.

Bonnie stumbled, having to catch herself against the table before she toppled over and crashed to the floor. Once she was righted, her angry gaze searched for the source of her ire. She watched as he strolled casually towards the stairs that led to the second floor. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, turned to give her one last glare, then continued on his way upstairs.

She turned, ready to stomp out of the house and get into her car, but stopped after the first step. Her hands became clenched fists, knuckles turning white, and her teeth were being ground together. Bonnie wanted to storm out of here, but she also wanted to know what was wrong with the idiotic vampire upstairs.

Damon had claimed he thought they were friends. How he considered them friends, Bonnie would never know. This…relationship they had was nothing but two meetings that involved verbal sparring and awkward moments. But somehow, Damon saw something in those two meetings that seemed to make him believe they were friends. _Well_, Bonnie thought, _he concluded we were friends after that first encounter, but that was just to mess with my head_.

With a frustrated sigh, the witch turned on her heel and made her way towards the stairs. She raced up them, needing to reach her destination before she lost her nerve. Once she reached the top, she looked left then right. Damon could be anywhere.

Running a hand through her hair, Bonnie hoped it would ease some of her frazzled nerves. She had never experienced this side of Damon before. Sure, Stefan had talked about how…lost he seemed after the necklace that could free Katherine was destroyed, but it was only talk. Seeing it first hand…it scared her somewhat. Damon wasn't suppose to have mental breakdowns like this.

Deciding to test fate, Bonnie turned to her right and walked down the hallway. "Damon, can you please talk to me?" she asked. She knew he would be able to hear her. "I'm…I'm worried about you." Was that not hard to admit, or what? "Look, if you're upset about what I said at the restaurant, you shouldn't be. I was just…talking without thinking." She had actually meant what she said, but if her words caused the town to have a crazy vampire terrorizing them, she would gladly take them back.

Bonnie stopped at the beginning of another set of stairs. These had to lead to the attic. Could Damon be seeking refuge up there? Knowing the only way to discover that answer was to see for herself, Bonnie began her trek up the stairs.

When she reached the top, she found herself entering a bedroom. After taking a quick glance of it, she deduced it had to be Stefan's, simply because she had never seen Damon read a book for as long as she had known him. But her gaze was caught on the figure sitting in the window, staring at the sunset.

"Damon," Bonnie whispered hesitantly.

He growled, "Go away!"

The witch flinched at the tone, but continued her cautious steps towards him. When she was mere feet from him, she stopped. In her mind, this was a safe distance. But she knew realistically that Damon could hurt her if he truly wanted to, no matter the distance.

She decided to try a different tactic. "You told me you thought we were friends back at the restaurant." She noticed with slight happiness that he turned his gaze towards her. "If that's true, then you can tell me what's wrong. Friends help friends with their problems."

Damon snorted. "You don't believe we're friends. And I don't know why I even entertained the idea."

"I'll be honest, it struck me odd that you would call us friends after just one, little encounter, but…"

He quickly interrupted her. "You think I'm calling us friends because of that one, stupid encounter in the woods?" His tone was harsh, which made her flinch.

Bonnie shook her head, not understanding what he was talking about. "What else could you be referring to?"

The vampire's laugh was cold and bitter. Then, with the speed that spread fear through her veins like water, he was standing before her. His eyes were slowly bleeding to black, the purple and blue veins shining against his pale skin. Then, she watched with morbid fascination as his fangs slowly appeared from his gums. The image of her blood coating those fangs and his chin, his smile wide, flashed through her mind.

When he spoke, his words were coated with the same coldness of his laugh. "I had actually entertained the notion that we were friends way before that inconsequential meeting in the woods."

Bonnie shook her head. "I…I don't…understand." She wanted to berate herself for her voice shaking in utter terror, but she knew there was no way she could possibly sound like her normal, strong self at a time like this.

"Think back, Little Witch," Damon hissed as he began circling her. "Something else more prominent happened between us."

She tried to think of a time when her and the vampire could have connected in a way to make him think they were friends. Going through every memory that she could, Bonnie found nothing that stood out. She didn't really have good memories that included Damon.

"I don't know," Bonnie stated helplessly.

"Yes you do!" Damon roared.

She stepped back out of fear, but felt her anger at being yelled at flame up. "Don't yell at me, okay!" She pushed past him and made her way towards the open window, needing room to breath. "You are acting like that same bastard the night of…" her voice died as the memory struck her like a stone fist in the face.

Before she could stop them, tears began coursing down her cheeks. Turning to face Damon, Bonnie said, "No, Damon Salvatore. You will not make me your newest obsession to ease the guilt of killing Katherine."

"Why not?" he asked as his face slowly morphed into that of a human's once more. "After all, I had to kill her to protect you."

The tears continued to gain momentum, along with Bonnie's anger. "So what? You hate me enough to play mind games with me because I'm the reason Katherine's dead?" She felt a small flare of anger directed towards herself at her foolishness to actually begin to believe that her and Damon could be friends. "Why don't you just get it over with and kill me? End your pathetic misery!" She felt a small pulse of power flood through her veins, singing to her for release. She ignored it. "That was why you were all upset over the fact Stefan wanted you to be his best man at his wedding to Elena. Because the one person you would love to obsess over, to ease that hatred for killing Katherine, is getting married to your brother, the one you blame for all your damn troubles! So you turn to the next logical choice: the reason you had to kill your damn beloved!" Another wave of power, stronger than before, flashed through her system. She still continued to ignore it.

Damon didn't even flinch at her harsh words. "Seems as if you have everything figured out."

Bonnie balled her hands into fists at her sides, but desperately wished to punch that emotionless mask off of the vampire's face. "My words about Stefan at the restaurant had no effect, huh? You're just going to write your brother off?"

He remained silent.

Bonnie felt a small piece of relief. It seemed her words did have some effect on him. "Katherine was a bitch, Damon." His eyes narrowed at her words. "She used you and your brother, hoping to fulfill some twisted fantasy of hers. She is the one that deserved your anger, not Stefan." Wiping away some of the tears that had fallen, Bonnie began laughing without humor. "And this stupid obsession with Elena because she looks like Katherine…you're smarter than that, Damon. You know she would have been nothing like Katherine. So you set yourself up for that fall all on your own." She turned to stare out the window once more, intently focused on the tree standing near the window. "And I won't tell you I'm sorry I got to live and Katherine didn't because I enjoy living. I enjoy seeing my dad every morning before he goes to work. I enjoy talking to Elena and Caroline about stupid girl things. I even enjoy gaining better control of my powers." Turning back to face him, Bonnie could only shrug. "I enjoy life, Damon. I can't apologize for that."

He still continued to stare at her.

Bonnie shook her head. "When you saved me from Katherine that night, I thought it connected us. You were the reason I was alive and I would owe you for as long as that life was still inside of me. I even entertained the notion that we could be friends." She wiped at her eyes, wishing her tears would stop. "But when Elena told me you had left town, I knew that notion was stupid. We would never be friends. I thought you hated me. But then, you show up out of nowhere at old Fell's Church and…and we have this moment where a piece, albeit miniscule, of ourselves was revealed to the other. It confused the hell out of me, Damon, because I had settled on the idea of you hating me. Then, you randomly appear at the restaurant where I work and we have another moment like the one in the woods." She fought past the large lump in her throat, needing to get this out. Her emotions were all over the place and her powers were increasing in the desire to be displayed. "That idea that we could be friends slowly crept back up on me, no matter how hard I tried fighting it. But then, you tell me it's all nothing but a mind game to you. Nothing but a way to ease the depression that is gnawing at you because of Katherine's death and the anger that Stefan ends up with the girl."

Damon frowned. "That's how it started…"

"Don't!" Bonnie snapped, quickly turning to face the tree once more. She didn't want to hear anymore of his lies. "I am done playing this game with you. Don't worry about me bugging you to go to Stefan's wedding and try to make amends with him. And don't worry about me trying to speak to you if we ever cross paths again. I get it now, Damon Salvatore, no one will come to mean as much to you as that bitch, Katherine."

The tree outside erupted into flames.

Bonnie felt the power erupt from her veins and turn her anger onto the nearest object, but found she didn't care. She was emotionally exhausted. Turning around, she moved around a surprised Damon and rushed down the stairs.

He made no move to stop her.

Once she was outside, she looked once more at the tree and the flames instantly disappeared. It didn't deserve her rage. Fighting back her urge to look at the open window at the top of the mansion, Bonnie climbed into her car and drove away.

On the drive to her house, Bonnie realized with a start that her heart ached. Strangely enough, she was deeply affected by the betrayal of Damon. She had believed it would only been a small sting, something that lasted for an hour or two. But this, this ache that seemed to rip at her insides, would last longer. It would consume her for the rest of the day.


	4. Author's Note

_**Author's Note**_

Okay guys, I know it has been a really long time since I updated and I'm sorry. I had chapter four and five was almost complete, but somehow those chapters got erased along with everything else on my computer. I think it was because of this virus that I had, but not totally sure. So, not only have I had to rewrite everything, but since this happened at the beginning of the end of my senior year, I was swamped with scholarships and everything else that comes with it. I am really, really, really sorry for the inconvenience, honestly.

Also, for a time there I even lost my love of writing because of so much crap that had happened. Kind of went into a mini-depression I guess you could call it. So, I am hopefully, cross fingers, going to have an update by the end of the week. Chapter four is halfway through, since I had to go back and reread everything and figure out where exactly I was going with this story.

Again, so sorry for the lack of updates. I promise I will try and do better. Summer is here and I should have more time to write.

Blue


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